“There’s Our Red House”: A Derelict East London Terrace Reimagined by Côte de Folk

In East London’s Hackney neighborhood, a late-19th-century terrace sat empty for more than two decades. “It was as though aliens had come down and taken the occupants away,” says designer Sophie Rowell of Côte de Folk. Mail lay strewn about the floor, condiments remained in the refrigerator, and dishes sat untouched in the sink. Trees had even begun to grow through the windows.

The house came to returning clients Joe and Helen almost by fate. Their young daughter, Nancy, passed it each day on her way to school, pointing to the remnants of red paint on the window frames and 1970s front door and declaring, “There’s our red house.” When the neglected five-bedroom property finally came on the market, the family purchased it and once again enlisted Rowell—whose previous career as a fashion stylist has informed her layered approach to interiors—to oversee what would become a complete reinvention.

Working alongside Flower Michelin Architects, Côte de Folk undertook an extensive reconfiguration, adding a loft extension, reconnecting the basement to the main house, and entirely rethinking the layout for a family of five. Rather than extending into the garden, as so many London terraces have done, Rowell moved the kitchen and dining spaces to the front of the house and transformed the former rear kitchen into a sunroom. The resulting interiors strike a balance between calm and exuberance: original details and salvaged elements sit alongside bold color, pattern, and texture—all anchored, fittingly, by the enduring memory of a little girl’s “red house.”

Photography by Christopher Horwood for Côte de Folk.

Above: The front door and exterior accents are painted in Bronze Red by Little Greene.
Above: The hallway is lit by a pair of Dodo Egg Light pendants by Beata Heuman and the original hallway tiles were preserved during the renovation.
Above: A custom shelf by Winney Woodwork was made to match the finish of a mirror by Alfred Newall.
Above: Budget constraints led the team to begin with an off-the-shelf kitchen from Howdens and customize it with painted cabinetry and hardware. The kitchen cabinetry and handles are spray-finished in Caddie by Paint & Paper Library. The bridge faucet is by Studio Ore. Original floorboards were salvaged and restored throughout the house.
Above: The kitchen walls are painted Cashmere by Paint & Paper Library. A dark natural stone countertop was given a leathered finish to soften its appearance and add texture. The blue-painted island is an antique piece.
Above: Original stained-glass windows were carefully restored and repurposed. Café curtains are made from a fabric by Rose Uniacke. The red stool is the Bohome Stool by Bohome Interiors.
Above: The larder is painted Salvia by Paint & Paper Library.
Above: The built-in cabinet to the right functions as a hidden bar with the curtained area concealing the children’s art supplies and games.
Above: The dining room is designed with a chandelier sourced on eBay for the clients’ previous house which found a new home here. The dining chairs are vintage from Scene by Chloe.
Above: An antique cinema bench was reupholstered in Le Podge Ketchup, part of Côte de Folk’s hand-printed fabric collection inspired by condiment colors. The jute carpet is from Seagrass Story.
Above: Roman shades are made from a fruit-tree print by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn. The rocking chair came from Soap and Salvation. A paper Geranium Plant by Livia Cetti of The Green Vase sits on a vintage side table.
Above: The library’s walls and integrated cabinetry are painted Warm Stone by Edward Bulmer.
Above: A view of the terrace layout from primary bedroom on the ground floor to the kitchen on the parlor level.
Above: All of the bathrooms are fitted with fixtures by Lefroy Brooks.
Above: The marble shower tiles were custom made in bespoke sizes as a more economical way to achieve an all-marble look.
Above: A deconstructed antique chair remained unfinished from the clients’ previous house and unexpectedly found its place in the new primary bedroom.
Above: The silk velvet headboard is handmade in a fabric by Rose Uniacke and the wicker lamp is from Soap and Salvation. The glass-topped side table is an antique that Rowell had been saving for the right project.
Above: A stealth bath opens from the primary bedroom.
Above: The carved wooden mirror in the bathroom was sourced from Bohome Interiors.
Above: A checkered bedroom beyond is carried into the hallway just before entering.
Above: The characterful checkered bedroom features wallpaper and curtains by Anna Willms. “There wasn’t one idea of ours that Helen and Joe didn’t go with,” says Rowell. “So unusual and fun.”
Above: The quilted bedcover is by Beata Heuman.
Above: A Jean Royère-style sconce leading into the children’s bath.
Above: In the children’s bathroom, the original bathtub was preserved, re-enameled, and painted in Hay by Farrow & Ball.
Above: A wall-mounted utility sink and vintage stool for the children.
Above: A Josef Frank pendant lamp in the laundry room which is fitted with a custom brass pipe laundry rack.
Above: Rather than extending into the garden, the design team chose to work entirely within the home’s existing footprint. This left ample garden space; here, it’s designed with a vintage Mathieu Mategot garden set.